Putin during the call on Tuesday praised the “bravery, heroism and self-sacrificing spirit” displayed by North Korean troops as they fought with Russian forces to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk border region,

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call to discuss their deepening ties and war efforts against Ukraine, the countries’ state media said Wednesday, ahead of Putin’s planned meeting with U.

President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and updated him on planned talks the Russian leader will hold with U.S. President Donald Trumpin Alaska this week, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.